Boat gear



Patented Feb. 6, 1945 UNITED I STATES- PATENT i OFFICE n BOAT GEAR Henry E. Rottmer, Washington, D. C. Application April 28, 1943, VSerial No. 484,896

8 Claims.

' 998,263, granted July 18, 1911.

The above patent shows boat releasing gear wherein a hook member is positioned in the bow of a small boat and another in the stern; each having an extended shank adapted to be releasably held within a rotatable clutchcollar, and the two collars connected by means of shafting for simultaneous movement upon actuation of an intermediately positioned control lever. This patent also providesf means for'operating either hook independently by means of mechanism located just below the hook. With the arrangement shown, the position of the collar, with respect to the connecting shafting,depends upon the degree of force which is exerted in screwing the stud into the shaft, and there is always a possibility that the gate openings in the two collars may not be inperfect alignment after the hooks have been independently operated. vThis will cause one hook to release before the other when the two are operated simultaneously.

It is the object ofthe present invention to provide boat-coupling gear of Vthe general` type disclosed in the aforementioned patent, in which at least two hooks are provided, adapted for simultaneous or independent operation, and designed to positively position the release clutch collars in open or closed positions and to automatically return the release collar to closed or locked position after it has been rmoved to open position independently of the others. I

It is a further object of the invention to provide shock-absorbing means to cushion sudden strains to boat and falls incident to launching in a heavy sea. Frequently a boat will'touoh the crest of a wave relievingA the falls of its weight, and, before the tackle can be released, the wave will have passed' leaving the boat suspended over the trough. The quick falling away ofthe wave throws a terrific strain on boat andA falls, Aresulting in many instances in buckling of -the vboat or parting ofthe fall ropes. f

In general, it is the object of the invention to provide boat coupling gear in which the hooks may be operated separately or in unison to meet any given conditions, to protect the boat and gear from damage by shock or strain, and to provide means to ensure its operation under adverse orunusual circumstances. Y

Other objects will appear from the following by the opstanding wall of the collar. When thev collar is rotated 180, or,^in other words, when detailed description taken in the light of `the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specication, and in which like characters of referencev are used to designate like parts throughout.

In the drawings: A n Figure 1 is a verticalA longitudinal section through a life-boat equipped with boat coupling gear embodying the principles of the present invention, parts of the boat being broken away;r y

Figure 2 is an enlargedview of the ends of the boat shown in Figure -1, parts of the gear being shown in section; f Figure 3 is a plan view of the stem of the boat, the coupling hook, andconn'ecting linkage;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section through the shock absorberpedestal looking down on the sliding cross-head, and is taken on the line 4A`4 of Figure 2; e

Figure 5 is a horizontal section through one of the rotatable locking clutch collars taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2; Figure 6 is a horizontalsection through the clutch collar positioning means taken on theline 6 6 of Figure 2; f

Figure '7 is an elevational view of a modied vform of control means; and

Figure 8 is an .end elevation of the control means shown in Figure 7.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a conventional life boat I is shown, having the u'sual stem 2, stern 3, and flooring 4. yClosely adjacentthe stem and stern vertical pedestals 6 are positioned, which are bolted or otherwise secured to the boat.

A rod 1 projects upwardly beyond the top of each pedestal 6 and has its upper end threaded into an upstanding member II,- which is bifurcated near its top to provide spaced ears 8, between which is pivotally mounted a coupling hook 9. The hook 9 has av downwardly curving`nose I0 which is offset near its lower end and terminates ina downwardlydisposed pin I2.'

The member II carriesa bearing I3 in which is rotatably mounted a stub shaft I4 having a clutch collar I5 xed to its upper end to releas-` ably engage the depending pin I2 on the nose of the hook. Clutch collar I5 has an openside or gate I6, by means of which the pin I2 may pass into or out of the clutch collar.v When the clutch collar is rotated to a point lwhere the gate faces the member I I, the pin is held against movement the gate IB is diametrically opposed to the memthe pin I2, the `pin will be free and the Weight of the boat hanging from the falls I1 will cause the hook to' rotate, releasing the falls from the hook.

The clutch collar stub shaft I4 is reduced in width just below the bearing I3, and the reduced end I8, which is of substantial length, is squared to telescopically t into the interior of a length of hollow, squared shafting I9. 'Ihe lower end of shafting I9 receives the vsquared end 20 of' a section of shaft 2.I. having a round lower. portion projecting` bel'ow the end .of shafting I9; Pins 41 pass through the shafting I9 and squared shaft to secure the two together. i Y

The round lower portion of shaft 2| is inserted' into a sleeve 45, notched as at 22, the sides of; the

'One man can connect the boat to the davit fallsl by opening each hook in turn, the clutch collars automatically locking the hook in place when the notch coacting with the sides of a similar notch 23 formed in the upper end of a similar inverted sleeve 46. Shaft 2I is secured to. sleeve 45 by means of pin 48, and sleeve 46 is secured to a stud 50 by means of a pin 49. Stud 5U isl round'l and projectsrupwardly completely through. sleeve 46. and rotatably'ts within sleeve 4i5,`furnishingv a bearing f or' the sleeve 45 and maintaining the shafting. in alignment.. The intertting notches 22 and 23 of the sleeves 45 and 46 serveas a limi-t stop to position the clutch collar withrespect'to clutch collar. in its closed or locked position. By

reason of the. movement provided =by the: interttinginotches.- 22 andr23of thesleeves 45 and 46,

the clutch collar can be rotated to release posi-l tion againstl the tension ofi the spring 25,` and withoutl movement of. the sleeve 46. When the operating handle is released, the sleeve 45, theshaft I9, the stub shaft I4,. and th'e clutch collar I5 moving as a unitl will automaticallyreturn tok their original positions. with respectto sleeve 46 and associated shafting,with.A the collar having itsgate I 6 facing the-rod' 1f, in which position the hook isslocked' infthe'collar. kvThe abutting edges ofthe.notches22 and 23 limit' the rotation of the sleeve '451andf sox serve to precisely position theclutcl collar in` hook-release Vor hook-locked posi'- tion.. f

Af cylindrical castingV 51, shown best ln- Figure 6; rather loosely surrounds the intertting' sections ofthe sleeves 45 and' 46' and also the spring 25 to maintain the sleeves in alignment. Side plates 52 extend from-'the casting 5I by means of which the casting may'beasecuredfto the pedestal 6. Any longitudinal stress upon theV shaftingY willV becompensatedv forbymovement' of thetelescopic joint formed by'shafting |18 and'y I9fandlthere will be noupandf down movement between the sleeves, as the spring 2'5'hol'cls them together;

The above'structurel is employed at each of the hooks vand the ends ofthe studs 59 are fitted' with universal joints 26iand interconnected in the usual manner by means of shafting 21. A con-` trolv lever 2-31 is fixed to the 'shaft 21 a1nid'shipsl by means4 of which all-r ofthe hooks maybe operatedvv simultaneously. `.Movement- .ofV the control: lever 218 rocks the interconnecting shafting 21 operating handle is released and automatically positioning' itself for proper release simultaneously with the other hooks when the.,control lever 2:8 actuated'.. Thus the human element is entirely eliminated in regard to positioning the clutch collars, and the safety factor consequently increased.

Toqprevent; sudden shocks vfrom tearing the gear from the boat-or otherwise damaging the boat orv lowering tackle,A shock absorbing means are employedv whereby the. coupling hooks are yieldingly connected to the boattocushionsuch stresses.

Pedestals 6 comprise vertical spaced supportingmembersy 29 securedv at theirbottoms to the keel the bridge piece and its lowerend abutting av cross-head 32y held on; thel bottom ofv the rod by nuts 55'. Thecross-head: 32 is'notched on either v side, as at 56, to slidel upon the. side: members 29" of the.A pedestal: 6.

The notches 5E; are slightly widen than the members-29, for a. reason toY be later expained'.. Although onlyonev rod and spring is shown for each shock absorber,` it will bereadil'y understood.V that the' load, may be cli'.- vided between' two or more springs, if desired. By reason of thetelescopic connection between the stub shaft: I4 and the clutch collar operating shaft I9-,. the hook; and: clutch collar may move' upwardly, compressing the spring 3l whensudden stressl is thrown `upon the' launching; tackle. Although: the clutch; collarl moves with the hookI to# maintain the relativez :position between the hook. and col1ar,..shaft-I9 carrying'the clutchv operating.- handle hasino axialy movement' and therefore the operating. ,handl'e remains in a constant planeirelativeto-ithe-floor of the boat and within easyreach of' they operator.

To securely tie4 the entire gear to the boat and to vprevent any possiblewarping or twisting'of the various shafts out of `their normal alignment,l tie links 51v are provided, having one end" pivotall'y connected to the stem of thev boat l at' 58-an'd the other to thevpi'votpin of' the hook. When the hook. and appurtenant' structure rises,l compressingt the springf3l, links 5-1 will swing about thepivot 58 causing the hookpivo't tofollow'an arcuin thebridge piece 30 gives freedom ofmovementA tov the rod at its upper end. The controlk shafting. for the clutch collar'can swing. about' its pivadjacent each hook to lock the hooks in closed position, shafting interconnecting said clutch collars, a sleeve rotatable with each clutch collark otal connection at the universal joint 26 a suiiicient distance to follow the movement of rod 1.

A modied form of independent release mechanism is shown in Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings. This comprises two levers 35 and 36, and

a latch 31 to lock the levers together to act asl one. In this form of the invention the stub shaft I4, carrying the clutch collar, has its squared lower end fitting into a squared bore 38 extending through shaft 39. The lower end of shaft 39 receives the squared end of shaft link 40. Lever 35 is secured to or formed on the lower end of shaft 39, and lever 36 is fast upon the upper end of a shaft section 59. Thus the two levers are positioned one above the other and connected to separate sections of the control shaft. The lower lever 36 has an upturned-tongue 4| at its outer end which curves around the end of lever 35. Latch 31 is pivoted upon the end of lever 35 and is adapted to drop down over the tongue 4I to lock the levers together. When the latch is raised, lever 35 may be moved independently of lever 36 to operate the hook which it controls. When the latch is lowered, operation of the central control lever will rock the shaft section 59 and the lever 36, which through lever 35 will rotate the clutch collar to release the hook. Coupling the two levers together by means of the latch assures correct alignment of the clutch collar for proper release when the hooks are to be operated simultaneously.

While I have in the above described what isA believed to be preferred and practical embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that changes may be made from the exact structure shown within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. In boat gear adapted to releasably couple a small boat to the davit falls of a large vessel, hooks near either end of said boat, a clutch collar adjacent each hook to lock the hooks in closed position, shafting interconnecting said collars having a control lever by means of which the shafting and clutch collars may be rotated to simultaneously release the hooks, means whereby the clutch collars may be independently rotated and the hooks independently released, said clutch collars being biased toward hook locking position, and positioning means to prevent the independent rotation of said clutch collars beyond hook release and hook locking positions.

2. In boat gear adapted to `releasably couple a small boat to the davit falls of a large vessel, hooks near either end of said boat, a. clutch collar adjacent each hook to lock the hooks in closed position, shafting interconnecting said collars having a control lever lby means of which the shafting and clutch collars may be rotated to simultaneously release the hooks, and an extensible connection between said collars and said shafting to permit movement of the hook to relieve stress on the davitl falls while maintaining the relative positions of the hook and the clutch collar.

3. In boat gear adapted to releasably couple a small boat tp the davit falls of a large vessel, hooks near either end of said boat, a clutch collar and rotatable relative to said shafting whereby the sleeve and clutch collar may be rotated independently of said shafting to independently release one hook,l and means to cause the sleeves lar adjacent to each hook Ato lock the hooks inv closed position, shafting interconnecting said coll lars and having a control lever by means of which the shafting and clutch collars may be rotated to simultaneously release the hooks, a portion of said shafting adjacent each clutch being rotatable with said clutch collar and capable of independent rotation relative to the balance of said connecting shafting, ya coupling joining said clutch collar portions of shafting and said balance of said con-` necting shafting having matching intertting notches providing lost motion therebetween to limit the independent rotation of said clutch collars.

6. In boat gear adapted to releasably couple a small boat to the davit falls of a large vessel, hooks near either end of said boat, shock absorby ing means between each hook and its attachment to the boat, a clutch collar cooperating with each hook to lock the hooks in closed position, sections of shafting interconnecting said collars and having a control lever by means of which the shafting and clutch collars may be rotated to simultaneously release the hooks, said sections of shafting adjacent each clutch collar comprising a short shaft telescopically connected to a portion of said clutch collar and provided with a coupling member having a notch in its lower end, a companion coupling member carried by the end of the next section of shafting and having a matching notch to engage the notch in said first mentioned coupling member, whereby limited independent rotation of said'clutch collars to release said hooks is permitted and said gear may move outwardly to cushion shocks on the davit falls.

7. In boat gear as claimed in claim 6, means to bias each clutch collar whereby the clutch collars will be normally maintained in hook-locking position.

8. In boat gear a hook having a pin extending therefrom, said hook being pivoted to swing in a vertical plane, a rotatable clutch collar having a gate therein tol releasably engage said pinto lock the hook, means whereby said clutch collar may be rotated to place the gear in the plane of swing of said hook to release the hook, said clutch collar being biased to rotate the collar to move the gate from the `plane of swing of said hook, `and positioning means to prevent the rotation of said clutch collar beyond hook release and hook locking positions. v 

